Back in the mid-1980s Wolfsbane set out on their career in the midst of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal days.
Over the next ten years or so things didn’t work out for them and as we surely all know – Blaze Bayley bagged the vocal slot in Iron Maiden for a bit in the 1990s until Bruce Dickinson returned.
Wolfsbane never really went away completely returning with an album in 2012 and another in 2022.
Now they are back again with the original line-up giving us a re-recording and re-imaged version of their fine debut album originally from 1989 calling this one Live Faster, whereas the original was of course Live Fast, Die Fast.
I don’t have the original so nothing to compare with this re-recorded version – though this Live Faster titled re-recording is a frantic ten tracks of high energy, high power stuff and it sounds like Blaze and the band had plenty of fun putting it together.
It’s a short, sharp shock in generally speedy, hard hitting punches over the around thirty five minute running time. No mucking about going on here. And you’ll be shouting along with the choruses not least in Manhunt, I Like it Hot and All or Nothing.
On Manhunt – that kicks off the album in a breathless way. Breakneck speed drumming, fast riffage, Blaze spits out the vocal and the chorus. All rather irresistible. Here is is:
Shakin’ offers some reprieve from the assault of Manhunt being a slower bluesy style song which is not too far from Aerosmith territory. Well, I think so…..
Killing Machine has the guitar cutting slashing away in style then comes Fell Out of Heaven which has a sleazy slant to it. Money to Burn all hot and heavy and Greasy is just that.
Then to mix things up further I Like it Hot has the hooky chorus with Blaze sounding a bit like David Lee Roth before in comes All or Nothing punching away.
Wolfsbane spring a surprise going all arena rock with the longest track on the album with Tears From a Fool. A well written, slowly developing, moody “power ballad” with plenty of that over the latter half of it. You’ll want to find a Bic lighter and wave the flame in the air – safely of course. No setting the house on fire….
Pretty Baby brings things to a close back to the breathless hard, fast and heavy stuff.
Top marks to Wolfsbane for taking the time and effort to re-record and re-image their debut album and give us this new version to enjoy.
Bought the CD directly from the band’s web site:
https://www.wolfsbaneband.com/webshop
Digital version from the BandCamp page if you prefer that:
https://wolfsbanehms.bandcamp.com/album/live-faster
The new Quartz album (Six) has arrived. Will look at that one soon as the old “legacy” NWOBHM bands continue to thrive.
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